Mardi Gras

as it is in New Orleans

Thursday, Feb 19th

Despite all the devastation New Orleans faced in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the despair lingers but they are city of courage. You see the courage in the faces that returned to the city, the faces of business owners that didn’t give up and the faces that manage a smile in spite of tremendous loss.

There is hope and there is a loitering happiness. Mardi Gras has been a source of this unwavering courageous happiness since the founding of the city. Carnival is an event that has always managed to allow the city’s diverse cultures to celebrate as one.

The parade goes on. Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler!

After the New Year, most Americans are hanging their head, packing up the Christmas decorations and dealing with holiday bills and extra pounds. But down in New Orleans, Carnival is just getting started. The Christmas season ends with Epiphany, or Twelfth Night, but on January 6 Carnival begins.

While other cities around the southeastern United States are also known for their Carnival events and parades culminating with Mardi Gras, New Orleans is known for it’s celebration.

Since the city’s founding, there have been Carnival celebration. New Orleans’s first declared Mardi Gras was in 1748 and parades became part of the public festivities in 1828.

Carnival and Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans have overcome some challenges. City leaders threatened to shut down parades in the early decades. The celebrations have bounced back from the Civil War, World War I, World War II and 9/11. Most significantly, many of the parades managed to march on just months after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

If you aren’t going to make it down to Mardi Gras this year, thanks to technology you can check out live streaming videos of the parades at: http://www.nola.com/mardigras/.

And if you have never been, go! There is no excuse if you live in the southeast and haven’t been to Mardi Gras.

The culture in New Orleans is captivating, particularly the carnival season leading up to Mardi Gras. You must go feel that courageous spirit.